The EU's multiannual financial framework (MFF) and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2020 dossiers will probably not be the subject of agreement before the European elections in May 2019, predicts a European Parliament study for MEPs on the Parliament’s agriculture committee.
A study aiming to foster debate at the auricular committee says it seems unlikely that the co-legislators (Council of the EU and European Parliament) will be able to conclude the negotiations on the EU's multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 and therefore also on the net CAP before the European elections of 24-26 May 2019.
The scenario of a partial vote on reform is also being discussed by the committee members (see EUROPE 12105).
Given the current state of the dossier, it is rather a gradual reform of the CAP as never seen before that should now be expected, warn the study’s authors (https://bit.ly/2xAW0xo ).
This step-by-step reform started with the ‘dairy package’ of November 2016, they say, and continued with the ‘omnibus’ regulation of 2017. Finally, notes the study, it will not be until the next parliament that the next MFF could be approved and the reform package for the CAP.
Agriculture credits down 15%. The study, which compares the European Commission’s proposals for the CAP post-2020 with the current CAP regulations, says that under the draft MFF 2021-2027, the allocation for agriculture (€324.284 billion) will be 15% down in real terms (with a 2% deflator) on that for 2014-2020 and 12^ down on the 2020 level for the E27. The reduction for direct aid and market measures (EAGF) will be by 11% and 7% respectively, to €254.247 bn, and 28% and 25% for rural development (EFRD), to €70.037 bn.
The EU's total budget proposed by the Commission for 2021-2027 (€1,134.583 billon) is down 5% on the one for 2014-2020 and 2% on the 2020 level for the EU27. The CAP would soak up 28.5% of EU credits over the net period, compared with 36.1% for the EU28 and 35.3% for the EU27 in 2014-2020 (33.2% at the 2020 level for the EU27).
The European Parliament rapporteurs on the post-2020 CAP proposals will unveil the fruits of their labour on 19 October.
The Agriculture Council on 15 October in Luxembourg will discuss this issue. Despite disagreements on core issues, the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU has promised to do its best to lead countries to reach general approach on the CAP proposals by the end of the year, although it admits that this will be difficult to achieve. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)